Middlesex Sheriff’s Office warns residents about jury duty scam calls

Monday

Mar 25, 2019 at 11:02 AMMar 25, 2019 at 11:02 AM

The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office issued a warning to residents about a new round of jury duty scam calls.

As part of the scam, callers are posing as members of the the Middlesex Sheriff's Office and are telling residents they need to resolve matters related to missed court matters and jury duty. In multiple instances this month – including two this past weekend – scammers identified themselves as a Sgt. Cooper and provided 781-819-5610 as a call back number.

On Friday, a local resident was allegedly told he needed to pay $900 or would be arrested, while on Saturday, a woman was told she needed to respond to a specific location to clear up three warrants. The location to which the woman was told to respond housed actual sheriff's department offices but those offices were closed at the time, according to the sheriff's department.

In all three cases, those who were contacted called the Sheriff's Office before paying any money or traveling to a location.

“Nationwide, these scammers are attempting to use the criminal justice system and the threat of arrest as a tool to frighten people into paying large sums of money,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian in a press release. “We want residents to be aware of these scams and these tactics in order to better protect themselves.”

The sheriff's office encourages anyone who has been the victim of a jury duty scam to immediately notify the local police department. If the scammer claims to be a member of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, the department also ask residents to contact its office at 978-667-1711.

To learn more about the jury duty process in Massachusetts, including jury duty delinquency, visit the Office of Jury Commissioner (OJC) website at https://www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-jury-commissioner.